


Nothing and No-One

by naasad



Series: I'll Be Good [6]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, Flashpoint (Comics)
Genre: Afterlife, Angst, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Death, Feels, Gen, Ghosts, Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia, More Hurt Than Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2018-07-13
Packaged: 2019-06-09 18:35:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15273747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/naasad/pseuds/naasad
Summary: Tim dies.





	Nothing and No-One

**Author's Note:**

> Holy angst, Batman
> 
> Mind the tags

Tim curled up, shivering.

He was fine, really. Mia would let him out soon. Or, if she didn't, Batman would save him. He knew he would, that's what he did.

He tipped over onto his side, hugging his knees to his chest. He sucked in a deep breath, trying to call out again. All that came out was a cough and a trickle of blood, and there was a shooting pain in his throat.

Okay, okay, talking was off the table.

He tapped his messy fingers on the floor. _taptaptap-tap-tap-tap-taptaptap_

His mother would hate his nails. They were horrid, one was missing.

She would probably scream and lock him right back up. Hopefully he'd get some water, first, he was terribly thirsty.

_taptaptap-tap-tap-tap-taptaptap_

He swallowed, ignoring the pangs in his stomach. His hand shook so hard he missed a few beats. He shook his head and kept going.

_taptaptap-tap-tap-tap-taptaptap_

Batman would come, he knew it.

_taptaptap-tap-tap-tap-taptaptap_

He stopped shivering, that was good.

No, no, wait, he'd read that was bad, right?

He didn't much care.

He missed his blanket.

His mother gave him that blanket. She gave it to him because someone - someone had died, right? Who died?

He sighed, watched as red, green, and yellow danced in front of his eyes, flipping through the air.

He closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, he remembered. He remembered who died.

Dick Grayson stood in front of him.

"You're dead," he said, amazed his voice worked.

Dick smiled ruefully. "Kind of." He gestured behind him, where a shadow with round yellow eyes lurked. "That's me, too, and he's still down there."

"Are you here to take me to Heaven?" Tim asked.

Dick's face fell.

Tim felt his heart crushed. "I understand. I - I mean - They locked me up, for a reason, right?"

"No, Tim, no," Dick said, kneeling down to pull him into a hug. "It's just... there isn't a heaven, per se, but it is a paradise. It's, um.... It's built for you by people's love."

Tim trembled. "And there's not one for me."

Dick shook his head. "I'm here - I'm here because I'm the only one who remembers you."

"My parents aren't here because they're not dead, right?" Tim asked.

Dick glanced behind at his other self, the one that was half there, blurry, still alive. "I'll visit you, okay?" he said, hugging Tim tight again. "I won't ever forget you."

Tim wept and held on to him with everything he had. "I won't ever forget you either."

Dick sighed and pulled away. "You have to go back now."

"I don't want to."

"I know." Dick stood and reached out. "Come on, let's go."

Tim took his hand and found himself standing next to his body.

He kicked it and screamed.

It hurt.


End file.
